Indestructible
by StarryEyedLight
Summary: Drawn into a realm they don't know and don't understand, heroes from multiple universes are thrown into what seems to be eternal conflict. Desperate to survive, alliances are forged and broken - all in the name of returning to the worlds they were stolen from.
1. Run

**INDESTRUCTIBLE**

* * *

 **I: RUN :I**

* * *

What little energy Nova had left, she used to put as much distance between her and that hulking beast that had attacked. The blond staggered as she reached the entrance of small temple nestled out in the unforgiving sands of this world. It wasn't like anything she had seen before, it was made out of ancient lime and sandstone. Two great pillars stood guard at the massive entrance, which was framed by carvings of snakes rising up to hold a central clear gem above the doorway. Hieroglyphs dotted the exterior walls of the structure, that was overall pyramid in nature.

Nova stood out in contrast against the building, her combat suit silver-white in colour, with steel-grey patches and glowing blue psi-sensitive lines. Her technology was leaps and bounds ahead of whoever built this place, not that it had mattered. The creature she had encountered had cared little for her armament, and simply cut through it. Her armour was torn up, claw marks and scorches from fire ruined her suit, and what little armour she did possess had barely managed to keep her from being cleaved in two.

She heard a roar, not nearly as far away as she liked. Nova glanced over her shoulder, her body doing all it could not to drop her heavy rifle and simply run and hide. The wind picked up, blowing a storm of sand in between the noise and herself, but she had just caught a glimpse of a looming shadow, growing as it marched in her direction.

"Shit." With that word she darted inside, hissing as her wounded leg agonizingly protested to the movement.

The interior of the temple was largely open: with a high, angular ceiling that had a similarly clear gem somehow suspended high above. Four support pillars framed a mosaic pattern on the central floor, depicting a great cobra rising out of shadows and into the sky, with strange, humanoid warriors guarding it. Nova stumbled, blood loss and exhaustion had taken their toll, she fell to the floor roughly and only managed to just catch herself.

She scrambled after that, throwing her rifle behind one of the pillars and hurrying after it. The sniper slammed her back up against the stone column and held her rifle to her chest like a life line.

She gritted her teeth, her cloaking mechanism had been on the fritz since she had awakened in this strange place. Nova steeled herself best she could, gently tapping a button on her wrist and hoping for the best. There was a brief hum and then she felt the energy wash over her, making her vanish just as something entered the temple. Cautiously she peered around the beam, swallowing hard.

Nova's heart sank when she saw what it was - the beast that had nearly annihilated her in the shifting sands.

The creature in question was a massive, red-skin monster with a beyond human muscularity, coupled with a thick, powerful tail. Its back was covered in black horns, all of varying sizes and a few were cracked. The beast's head had three horns, two protruded from the sides of its head, that resembled a ram's, while the other was a crystal like object that came from its forehead. Its eyes burned like the fires of Char, hot and unforgiving.

As it walked, its weight made its footfalls sound reminiscent of a ultralisk's gate. It wasn't nearly as big, but it had a menacing, evil aura. It tilted its head, sniffing the air and then laughed.

"I know you're in here, girl." It was the first time it, or maybe he had spoke. "I smell you, I smell your blood."

Nova glanced down at her wounds, then watched the monster. He opened his mouth, revealing a maw of razor-edged black teeth, and a throat that glowed like his eyes. He grinned, stomping into the centre of the temple.

"I taste your fear… it's thick on the air, and I will consume it and you before night falls."

There was nothing but silence in the temple before he moved, lumbering towards the pillar Nova hid behind. She could hear her heart pounding, thundering in her ears and it took all she had not to bolt and run from her spot. Slowly she brought the rifle up, she could see the few shots she had gotten on the monster, they oozed what looked like magma.

As if sensing her intention, the monster spoke.

"You have one shot child, best to make it count before I make you scream."

Nova was about to fire, she felt her finger tighten on the trigger as she aimed squarely for the beast's ugly face. Instead a stream of white and gold light flooded the temple for a mere second. The next the creature was howling, a golden-hilted sword buried in its side, turning its red flesh to blackened ash. Nova winced, the monster's cries were twisted and foul, and it flailed somewhat as it staggered back, flaming eyes just now seeing what was stuck in it.

It snarled something in a tongue Nova didn't understand, but she didn't need too. There was another golden flash and suddenly an armour-clad being was wrenching the sword from the beast. The being was a man, if his stature and body-shape were any indicator, he wasn't nearly the size of the hellish thing that had been stalking her, but clearly he didn't need to be. Every slash from his sword found its mark, as the knight dodged the monster's throws.

Then the creature had him, his large hands grappled around the knight's pauldrons and swung him high overhead and crashed him into the ground. The mosaic shattered, pieces of it flying up from the sheer impact, something that would've killed an ordinary man.

But this man had wings, streams of silver-blue energy pouring out from his shoulders. He was anything but ordinary. The best the attack did was stun Nova's would-be rescuer, allowing the beast to plant a heavy foot on top of the man.

"Tyrael," He spat, his voice a thundering growl of pure hatred. "There is no legion of angels to save you now, I will tear you apart and you'll waste away to nothing - so far from your precious High Heavens that you'll be lost to Pandemonium forever."

"I will send you back to the Burning Hells!" Tyrael hissed in response, bringing up his sword in an attempt to strike at his foe, instead - the creature snatched his wrist and began crushing his arm, eliciting a pained shout from Tyrael.

Their faces were mere inches apart as the monster spoke again, satisfaction in his voice.

"No, you won't."

There was a sharp pop that brought the standstill to an end, and the shot the sound came from was strong enough to send the monster staggering off of Tyrael. Lava blood splattered over the floor and the beast roared in rage and pain. Nova's shot had hit its mark, cleaving a precise hole through the fiend's horn and striking its scaly temple. Tyrael recovered quickly, with one mighty push of his wings he was on his feet again, and on the assault.

Nova slumped down against the pillar, wincing at every breath as her cloak floundered and fizzled out, revealing her presence. Every opportunity she had, she fired at the creature.

"Enough!" The monster shrieked, his body briefly becoming engulfed in fire before he stomped his large foot and streams of explosive hell-fire shot out in all directions. They tore up the temple's floor and struck three of the four columns, shattering one while the others cracked and began to quake.

Nova had been knocked back by the blast from the exploding pillar, the one she happened to be closest too. She dropped her rifle in her lap as her back crashed into the wall, all but knocking her unconscious.

Tyrael back-pedaled, dodging the demon's strike, he pointed his sword as the monster.

"This end's here, Diablo."

Diablo merely glanced at the wounds on his body and then smiled menacingly at the angel.

"For the girl, maybe."

Diablo swung his tail and smashed it into the final pillar, knocking a chunk from it. The temple groaned, its weight too much for the two compromised beams to support. The demon began to make his way out.

"What will your precious justice cost you Tyrael?" Diablo glanced over his shoulder at the angel, a satisfied smirk on his lips as a black portal opened up. "Will an innocent life to pay for your crusade?"

Tyrael's shrouded gaze turned to see Nova, bloodied, battered and beaten until she had barely anything life. Then he looked back at Diablo.

The temple heaved, debris tumbling down from the ceiling - Tyrael charged for Nova, using his body and wings to shield the woman from the chaos around them.

Diablo scoffed, and stepped through his portal just as the entrance of the building shattered and turned to rubble.

* * *

 _Contains minor edits._


	2. Arrival

**INDESTRUCTIBLE**

* * *

 **II: ARRIVAL :II**

* * *

The only blessing nightfall offered Tyrael and his charge, was relief from the blistering heat. He had watched the sun over the hours slowly drift across the sky, lower and lower until it found the horizon line and disappeared. The sky changed from a bright blue to a beautiful mix of orange, gold and indigo before darkness finally took over.

He knew next to nothing about the woman he saved, nor why Diablo had tried so hard to kill her. Tyrael supposed that the demon hadn't needed a reason to go after anyone, it was quite likely he had simply seen her, presumed the woman was an easy target and pursued her.

Still, a lesser human would've been frozen in fear at the mere sight of the demon lord, yet this woman had fought until unable. That had to amount to something, she had courage - and that had no doubt contributed her survival.

He had saved her from the temple, withstanding rock and stone as they plummeted down around them. He had used all his might to protect her with a divine shield, lucky enough that the barrier hadn't collapsed from the weight. Though the event had been strenuous, Tyrael was now exhausted.

He glanced down at the woman again, wondering about her strange weapon and even stranger garb. It looked somewhat like cloth, thinner than the cotton shirts mortals ordinarily wore, yet clung to her frame tightly. She didn't seem to match this place, whatever it was and wherever they were. Exactly where had she come from, and why had it brought her along with himself and Diablo?

"All in do time," Tyrael muttered to himself, hesitating as he marched over a dune and spotted a small village nestled in the barren wastes. He had no idea what time it was, the only hint was the lack of light from the distant houses, the townsfolk were sound asleep.

He had been trekking for hours on end, apparently. It was late enough that everyone was sound asleep, unaware of the strangers wandering their desert.

The woman stirred in his arms, eyes opening barely a smidgen, the only hint of her conscious state was the small groan she gave as she came too. Tyrael had seen this before in countless humans, she wouldn't be awake for long.

"You're safe." He stated, "Diablo is gone."

His answer was enough for her, satisfied with his statement, she let fatigue and terrible wounds drag her back to unconsciousness.

With some sort of reprieve on the horizon, Tyrael extended his magnificent wings and swooped down the dune, sand skirting up behind in his wake as the angel hurried the last stretch.

The village was quiet, there was the low mulling of a farm animals: camels and sheep in an enclosed pen near one of the larger homes. Here it seemed that a bit of nature had managed to survive, with hardy trees and a thin brook running through the fenced of area. In the centre or town was a well, built a long time ago if the bricks were any clue. Tyrael's boots gently touched down on the hard dirt as he looked around.

If Diablo had been here, there were no obvious signs. The angel didn't feel any demonic taint nearby: the gentle breeze was cool and refreshing, void of any evil influence that had run rampart on Sanctuary. Instead, Tyrael's senses picked up on something different, he turned his attention to a different pool of water - far better kept then the one in village square.

He neared it cautiously, the water in it was crystal clear and glimmered with a faint, silvery light. The stones that formed the well had moss and deep green vines clinging to its bricks. Gently Tyrael set the woman down so she was leaning against the stone, and then he knelt, dipping his gauntlet into the water. If it was a trap, it had passed Tyrael's scrutiny. The liquid ran through his fingers, pouring back into the well.

"Healing waters…" He murmured, continuing to investigate the strange pool until he found a shallow silver bowl nestled in the healthy grass next to the well. He grabbed the bowl and dipped it into the water, then brought the magical liquid near his face.

It hummed with a magical touch that was very similar to the healing elixirs of Sanctuary.

Tyrael glanced at the woman, her breaths were shallow and her wounds severe. He doubted that anyone in this village could help her, he had seen too many similar traumas among the mortals. Best they could do was give her a bed to die comfortably in. The angel brought the edge of the bowl to her lips and watched as through some unconscious effort, she parted her lips.

Carefully, he tipped the container and let the water slowly trickle into her mouth.

It was as he suspected, her breathing instantly improved as she drank the magical water. If he had of been able, Tyrael would've smiled at the small turn in their fortune. She would still need to rest, but at least now with the aid of this divine influence, she would survive the night.

He heard the scuff of dirt under boot and swung around, unsheathing his mighty sword El'druin and bringing it to bear against a foot-soldier's scimitar. The soldier looked stunned, his wide brown eyes starring up at the shining, silver and gold blade that dwarfed his own.

Tyrael rose to his full height and easily overpowered the man, using his weapon to bring the footman's crashing to the ground. The angel kicked offender back into the others, sending them all tumbling into the dirt.

With El'druin firmly pointed at the soldiers, Tyrael spoke.

"I do not cherish the thought of violence, but if you raise your blade again, you force my hand." Tyrael's voice boomed, the men glanced at each other as they tried to recover. "What reason do you threaten us?"

The guard eyed the mighty wings that came from Tyrael's back. They blazed with an energy all their own, casting the dark square in a blue-silver glow. Nervously he looked back at where the angel's face should've been.

"Strange things have been happening," the man stammered, staring at one of very things he now described. "The sky tore itself open, and then there were stories of monsters and…" He swallowed hard, "fallen angels, roaming the desert."

Tyrael looked at men, there were six in total - and all looked absolutely terrified. He lowered the sword somewhat, his voice thick with irritation. "What's your name?"

"Adnan." The soldier fumbled with his words, "Please, we meant no offense. We were just trying to defend our families."

Tyrael slowly slipped the sword back into its glimmering scabbard. "I am not in the habit of killing innocent men." He looked between them all. "I only require a bed for this woman to rest in." Tyrael watched as they exchanged glances. "She encountered this 'monster' you spoke of."

Perhaps wishing to make amends for his original offence, Adnan offered his own home as lodging. He led the way to his home: a modest house, one of the five that surrounded the village square. He lived alone, with little evidence of a family or personal items. He had given the wounded woman his bed, as it was the only one in the house, and then joined Tyrael in the main area, which was lit by a small fireplace.

Tyrael examined Adnan, and he was sure the man could feel it. He was a little on the short side, though he had strong stocky build his clothing couldn't hide. He was clean-shaven, and his garb was loose and white, to try and lessen the desert heat.

He reminded Tyrael of the nomadic tribes that wandered Caldeum's deserts, even his sword that he had recovered from the ground was sharply curved and elegantly designed, much different from the blades of Westmarch and Tristram.

"Who is the woman?" Adnan finally broke the silence, hoping that with his earnest question, he would also dismiss the tension.

"I do not know," Tyrael admitted, "I saved her from Diablo."

Adnan's expression turned to confusion. "Who?"

Now Tyrael knew he was not in Sanctuary. "He is a demon lord from the Burning Hells."

Adnan grimaced. "He's here too?"

"Yes," Tyrael now posed his question. "He is no doubt the monster your people speak of."

"Oh," The soldier swallowed hard.

"Where are we?"

"Luxoria." The soldier hung his head, saddened. "Or what's left of it."

"What happened?" The angel questioned. He could faintly sense the death on this land, it permeated up through the ground.

"Not many remember," Adnan admitted, "any that do reside on the Floating Sands, go there and maybe they can tell you why our world fell." He shifted uncomfortably. "Most who live here, don't remember."

"Floating Sands?"

"A floating island, home to the Sky Temple in homage to the ancient god, Ka. Our King, Markus, also reigns what's left of Luxoria from there." Adnan explained. "Markus had the city built around the place of worship."

"Many ancient places hold power," Tyrael noted, wondering if there was a way to return home. "Do you know if this Sky Temple holds such potential?"

Adnan honestly had no idea, his expression told Tyrael so. It had been such a long time since anyone stirred the god Ka to act, that many were like him - they thought themselves abandoned by both their queen and god. He hesitated to answer the angel's question, fearing that he would not like the answer.

"There are legends of the power the temple once held, but Ka has fallen into a dreamless sleep. Whatever power it had, is lost with the sleeping god."

It wasn't a new task to Tyrael, stirring ancient magic and supernatural forces. He himself, was something akin to legend in Sanctuary. To encounter another world with a similar idea, was reassuring.

"Is there any way to wake this god?"

Adnan's expression was darkened. There were tales of Ka, stories passed down from the elders. Shrines scattered about the land, where his guardians waited for the bravest of men. There were bound to be a few on the sands.

"If you can access the old shrines, Ka may yet rise."

 **†**

Diablo had never put much stock in a grand scheme, he had lived under the impression that he was one of the very forces that created a mortal's interpretation of fate. Yet when Tyrael had arrived and saved that woman, he had stopped and given it a thought. What were the chances that this strange place, would drag both he and that blasted angel here? There was an intelligence to this design, even if Diablo couldn't see it fully yet.

"I will not be someone's puppet." He growled in a low, furious tone as he slunk through the sewers of the city above. The scent wasn't the worst he had even smelt, there were far worse things in the Burning Hells, here was nothing special.

He moved through a larger circular cavity and stepped into a sort of central point. Walking along side the flowing water, watching the dirty liquid rush down the slanted runs of the corridors. He continued until he stood in a far drier, old access way. Above him was the streets of a city, protected from the outside with large, formidable walls and armed towers.

"Lord Diablo," a voice came from the shadows, followed by a form. A man, with purple skin and long, sharp pointed ears. His eyes were covered by a black cloth, a strange quirk but one Diablo had chosen to ignore. "Is it as we suspected, the city is built around the temple."

Diablo snorted. "What of the power I sense?"

"It must be coming from inside, but it has been sealed." Illidan replied coolly. "King Markus refuses to open it, as he says it will offend their god, Ka."

The demon chuckled, recalling his perversion of King Leoric and the calamity that had ensued. A mortal's mind was a simple thing, any and all creatures felt fear, this monarch was no different from the others. Diablo would twist his thoughts until the only reprieve was to open the gates. If he could access temple and find the source of power, he could learn more about this place.

And if Markus proved resilient, then he would be removed. It was a simple process.

"I will find a way into the castle, and twist this king to my will." Diablo stated, "it seems whatever controls this place has brought in others. A woman… and an angel."

Illidan frowned. "An angel?"

"Yes," Diablo snarled, frustrated. "Tyrael, an archangel from the High Heavens. He will try to stop us," the demon narrowed his fiery eyes at his servant. "You will not let this happen."

"And what of the girl?"

"She will not last long," the demon responded, moving to head deeper into the sewer. "The wounds she sustained were grave, though I will not make the mistake of underestimating Tyrael… beware of her too, Illidan. She has abilities I have not seen before."

Illidan bowed his head. "As you command."

* * *

 _Major changes for second half of chapter._


	3. Emergence

It had been a grim final thought of Nova's, thinking she was going to die on some barren world of no name or origin. The idea of surviving such an encountered hadn't crossed her mind, though now that she had, her expectation was to feel pain. Instead, her eyes fluttered open and the only discomfort she felt was from the harsh sun blaring in through the small window.

She felt fine, which shouldn't have been possible. Nova sat up quickly and threw the blanket off of herself. There was evidence of a fight, one that had clearly not gone in her favour: blood stained her suit and where there had been tears, they were strangely mended. Admittedly, it was possible to fix a combat suit, but from her surroundings – she doubted whoever lived here had such equipment.

She analyzed the room quickly, relaxing a bit when she spotted her rifle leaning up against the wall. She couldn't imagine her rescuer had been that monster from before, her only assumption was the _angel,_ though Nova had no idea what to make of that.

In all honesty, Nova hadn't quite been sure she believed what she had saw, not until the same faceless figure entered. His hood and tabard were white, matching his impressive suit of armour. His wings were as she remembered: long wisps of energy, dancing in the air in fluid, gentle motions.

"You have recovered," he noted, his voice somehow mighty. She nodded.

"Thanks to you." Nova replied, but was unable to keep from frowning at him. "Who are you?"

"I am Tyrael, and we have much to discuss."

'Discuss' perhaps had been the wrong word, as the rest of the conversation was Tyrael explaining everything he had come to know about this place. Nova had freely admitted she knew of nowhere called Luxoria, nor did she have experience with magic. She was out of her element, and it was only for her pride that she was hiding just how off-putting this situation was. Diablo had caught her unawares, Nova had thought the demon lord to be some sort of new strain of Zerg, it had been the only reason she had fired upon him.

Yet a shot that should've ended the monster, had simply enraged him. Tyrael had no idea what a Zerg was, but from her description he had compared it to the legion of demons the various Lords of Hell commanded.

That's what concerned her most, there were _more_ than just the one she had encountered. What if another were to appear?

One was enough, in her opinion.

Tyrael asked her about her world, and she obliged. She gave him a brief history lesson, revolving around the Swarm, Sons of Korhal, the fall of the Confederacy, and the Second Great War that was happening when she woke up here. He had a lot of questions, and she had more than enough answers. Though she wasn't entirely used to talking so much.

She had never imagined an angel to be so curious, especially one that was supposedly the Archangel of Justice.

Maybe that's why he _was_ interested, there was no shortage of injustices happening in the Koprulu Sector, maybe he could sense that.

Adnan interrupted their discussion with a light tapping on the door. Tyrael noted how he looked far less nervous, having been reassured by the angel that he meant no harm. He nodded to Nova, and admired her a second longer then he should've before he cleared his throat and spoke.

"There is a temple, far to east - that stands under the Floating Sands. It will take you up there, but…"

Tyrael's body stiffened. "But?"

"My men reported just this morning that a red-skinned monster was seen entering the temple, I have no doubt that this is the Lord of Terror you spoke of." Adnan did his best to remain composed and professional. "I have sent one of my men ahead, to try and scout what he's doing on the island but I must insist you allow soldiers to accompany you."

Nova frowned. "Why's that?"

"Because if Diablo has done anything to the people of the Floating Sands, they will not hesitate to attack strangers - angels or not. And… my people are still unsure of you."

The ghost's expression didn't lighten. "A guarded escort, both to protect us and put us down if they don't like us."

Adnan didn't like the way she phrased it. "It is only a precaution."

Tyrael spoke before an argument arose. "And while unnecessary, it's understood. We welcome your help." He glanced at Nova, making his point clear: _we are not going to attack those that aided us._

Nova's irritated gaze shot to Tyrael, to which he ignored. Exhaling quickly, she pushed past her dislike for the plan and moved onto another issue.

"You said that the temple is far," she began as her gaze that had landed on Adnan turned hard and critical. "How far?"

"Too far to walk," Adnan confessed, but his tone was chipper then one would've expected at such news. "But, we won't be walking."

†

Resting outside the village was a massive ship, its wooden hull had been battered by the sand and dirt, a thick layer of both clinging to it. Both Tyrael and Nova had expected to see great masts on the ship, yet it had none. Instead, thick ropes formed a wide, intricate net over the body of a balloon. Nova gazed at the contraption in disbelief, the vessel itself lacked an ordinary ruder, it had been replaced by large, fan-like fins off of the craft's body. The front of the ship was armoured, with thick iron plating bolted onto the bow.

"What is that?" Nova asked, looking towards Adnan. The man gave her a light smile in return.

"It is _The_ _Sandray_ , and it arrived here months before you did." His hands on his hips, Adnan looked quite proud. "We found it half buried by a dune after a fearsome storm, it took some time but we've learnt how to operate it."

Tyrael didn't sound nearly as skeptical as Nova. "It's a fine craft."

Nova glowered at the contraption, anything remotely close to what she was now looking at had been lost on **Earth** , over five hundred years ago. "The last anyone ever heard of a zeppelin, it exploded mid-air."

"Is that what it's called?" Adnan questioned, "We had no idea what it was, beyond the obvious."

"Did any of the original crew survive?" The angel inquired as they moved closer, navigating through the bustling workers and soldiers.

"If they did, they were not with the," He looked at Nova briefly. "Zep-pelin, we found it abandoned."

 _The Sandray_ didn't inspire much hope in Nova. It was old, dirty and clearly from not from her world. As she watched the way Tyrael now inspected it, it became obvious it wasn't from his world either. Exactly what was going on? Where in some place that dragged other dimensions into its grasp?

A quote fluttered through mind, one that almost resentfully summed up the events.

 _'When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be true.'_

Nova mulled over the statement as she stepped onto the ship. She caught fluttering thoughts from the crew: their amazement, wonder, suspicious and frustration. They were helping herself and Tyrael on the word of Adnan. Otherwise, they both would've been walking to the temple and had no way of knowing Diablo was ahead of them. Tyrael had parted from her, making his way up to the raised command deck.

Nova watched him curiously, she had thought an angel would've possessed a face. Still, somehow without one she knew he was good. He hadn't saved her life simply out of duty or purpose, he had saved her because it was the right thing to do. It was a dangerous line of thought for a ghost, as her orders often superseded everything else.

Did he know that she wasn't like him? What could angels sense about people anyways? Everything she's done, she wouldn't call herself a good person but he didn't seem to care.

Nova's lips gently curved into a regretful smirk. ' _He doesn't know._ _'_

There was shouting across the ship before crew-members rushed to untie the ropes that had been holding it to the ground. There was no sudden lurch like when a banshee or dropship took off, it was gentler. _The_ _Sandray_ rose up into the sky with grace, despite its cumbersome appearance, it was surprisingly fast.

As they rose up, Tyrael could see the vastness Luxoria's desert. The dunes went on for miles, some beginning to devour temples and ruins. Others had nearly completed the task, with only the tallest pillars or the tip of structures managing to stay above the sweeping sands.

And as they made their way east, slowly it came into view.

A dark shadow in the sky, blanketed by thick clouds and fog. Chunks of sandstone and rock floated around the isle, while endless streams of water poured off of the main island in great waterfalls. Adnan had told them that there was no hope of _The Sandray_ reaching the island, some sort of enchantment left over from Ka protected the oasis. _The_ _Sandray_ , if it tried, would simply fall out of the sky.

Nova frowned at the statement as she peered over the edge of the ship, and down towards the golden sand. Exactly how did he know that? _The Sandray_ was the first flying vessel they had seen.

Unless it wasn't.

She flicked her eyes to him briefly.

There was something Adnan wasn't telling them.

Tyrael watched as his companion approached, she had been exploring the deck of the ship up until this point. Probably out of habit, many warriors checked out their surroundings in case something were to happen, so they'd know where to find cover.

"Is something wrong?" He asked, concern in his voice as she pulled him to the side.

Nova opened her mouth to speak, then hesitated. Out of the corner of her eye, she had spotted something, and slowly turned to see it.

Just south of the Floating Sands, the sky had become unnaturally dark. Tyrael stepped up beside her, watching as the single, dark cloud flashed with lightning and began to expand at a phenomenal rate. As the storm grew, so did its terrifying nature. The gentle breeze they and the crew had once enjoyed became stronger, pulling at the fins of the ship. Lightning cracked like a thousand whips in the sky, and thunder boomed so loud it shook the vessel.

Nova looked up at Tyrael, troubled. "Diablo?"

"No," Tyrael's hand slowly slunk down and tightly grasped the hilt of the El'druin. "Diablo has no control over the skies, least of all in a world he doesn't know."

Lightning cracked, arching across the sky like white veins and thunder roared as the clouds began to twist and swirl. It formed a funnel, but not one that stretched for the ground, instead, it extended back into the formation itself.

"Gate Storm!" One of the men shouted.

Nova pivoted and grabbed Adnan, pulling him to her side before he could run and hide. "Gate Storm?"

"Y-yes, um…" He pointed at it, nervous. "They are the storms that happen before strange things appear… like _The Sandray_." He swallowed hard, eyes flicking between the two outsiders. " _Like you_."

"Nova," Tyrael's voice was once again commanding, "something is coming through."

She released Adnan roughly and turned to look, freeing her rifle from its sling. It wasn't just one thing, there were dozens of objects falling out of the portal, half smacking down into the sand and wastes below while the others seemed to right themselves and then circle around the chaotic storm. Nova gave pause, narrowing her eyes.

There was something familiar about the display.

She brought her rifle up and stared down the sights, heart immediately sinking at the sight.

"What is it?" Tyrael queried, unable to make the things out.

Nova steadied herself as the creatures changed course.

"The Zerg."

* * *

 _Contains minor edits._


	4. Monster

Nova's earlier explanation of the Zerg had covered the gruesome basics, they were a dangerous and violent race – their motives wholly unknown due to their nature. Tyrael could see now; a large majority of the flying beasts had changed course and now were closing in on them. Hellbats were not unlike this flying monstrosities, wicked and winged and hellishly fast.

"Mutalisks." Nova offered as the only explanation, then looked to the man steering _The_ _Sandray_. "The only defense we have is on the front of the ship, charge through their swarm and dive for the temple."

The crewman looked horrified at the suggestion, angrily shouting over the rumbling thunder. "They'll destroy the ship!"

Nova scowled. "Well if you would prefer death, by all means, _run._ "

Nova knew their plight was hopeless, mutalisks had been evolved to be perfect killing machines. The flying nightmares would spew glaive wyrms onto the ship, and their acid coating and voracious nature would mean the end of the valiant Sandray. God forbid the wyrms found a crewmen when they landed – it wasn't a good way to go.

She watched as a few of the men readied javelins and notched arrows in their bows. She shook her head, bringing up her rifle.

The screeches of the Zerg soon were heard, shrill cries of mutalisk as they full faster and harder seeing that their prey wasn't a typical target. It wasn't the heavily armoured ships of the Dominion or the shielded vessels of the Protoss, it was a goddamn wooden ship that was refusing to flee. Nova wondered if the aliens could feel amusement, were they laughing or making jokes with each other as they prepared to cut them down.

They reached the first mutalisk, and _The Sandray_ plowed straight into it. The zeppelin shook and groaned while the creature howled and lost a wing. It tumbled out of sight, just as the rest of its impressive flock unleashed hell upon the craft.

It was just as Nova predicted, launched from the mutalisks curved tails were disgusting parasites oozing with acid. Tyrael watched as one volley smacked into a sailor, the acid ate through his measly clothing in a second, and then melted his flesh. The worm began to disintegrate, its own body turning to the same noxious liquid that was burning its way through the howling crewman.

He looked to Tyrael for some sort of aid, but it was too late. The creature had made its way into his chest, and was liquefying organs into a bloody stew.

When he died, it leapt from his corpse and slammed itself into the ship, creating a small hole in the deck.

Worse still were the weapons the men had, they did little against the flying beasts. Arrows harmlessly bounced off their natural armour and the javelins were easily avoided. The only one doing any sort of damage was Nova, carefully aiming her shots to severe wing from body, sending the beasts careening into the sand.

"Everyone," Tyrael commanded. "Take cover below deck! Your weapons mean nothing in this fight, save your strength for another battle!"

Nova's shots blew off another wing, but the mutalisk instead tumbled down onto the _boat_. Its clawed wing sliced through a few of the ropes holding the ballon to the craft before it crashed into the deck, cracking and splintering wood, its tail broke through the weakened floor and into the belly of the ship.

Tyrael rushed forward, watching as his foe floundered to try and right itself. It was a terrifying visage of death, with multiple vivid orange eyes all now glaring at him, and maw of uneven teeth made for shredding. It screeched and snapped at the angel, unafraid and unwilling to go quietly. Tyrael drew El'druin from its sheath and thrust it downwards into the top of the animal's skull, and found it distantly comforting that his own weapon cut through the carapace as easily as it had countless hardened skins of demons.

The mutalisk hissed a last breath and slumped.

Nova brought down a few more monsters before she glared at their pilot. "Dive, now!"

 _The Sandray_ plummeted, point of the bow driving itself into an unsuspecting mutalisk as the craft careened downwards. Everyone lost their footing, sliding and slipping as they struggled to regain their composure. Nova held tight onto the railing of the ship, grimacing as a wyrm just missed her and smacked down into the deck. The aliens hadn't figured out to attack the balloon, and she secretly prayed that it would never dawn on them.

Though Tyrael had no doubt that _The_ _Sandray_ had never moved this fast in its life, it became clear that its speed meant little against their opponents. The mutalisk nimbly swung around, screeching and continuing their hellish barrage of the boat. The angel hurried to the bow, peering out over the edge.

The temple wasn't far, though at their rate they'd never make it there alive.

Gripping El'druin tight in both hands, Tyrael stabbed the sword into the deck of the boat and concentrated. A pulsating wave of golden light flooded over the ship, growing in diameter until a shield encompassed the entire vessel.

Nova looked around at the barrier, awestruck. Her eyes fell on Tyrael, whose body continued to pulsate and emit more of the life-saving energy. The mutalisk shrieked, furious that their bombardment was rendered useless.

Her gaze shot to the helmsman. "Get us to that temple."

Tyrael's shield got them to the structure alive, his power cutting out just as the _Sandray_ reached the tall archway flanked with guardian statues. Nova briefly thought they were going to make it, ship intact, to their goal.

Until one of the mutalisk attacked the balloon.

Neither Tyrael or Nova knew what the craft's balloon had been full of, their only clue was it reacted terribly to acid. There was a sharp pop from the initial hit of the glaive worm and then a deafening, all too close explosion. Fire raged over them, and of the few people left on the upper-deck, Nova was the only one to dropped to the floor, narrowly avoiding the blaze.

The helmsman screamed and hollered, his upper torso a flame. He released the ship's wheel and floundered, tripping and falling over the railing of the ship.

Then gravity took over, and while the _Sandray_ made it _into_ the temple, it didn't land so much as it smashed into a pillar and then sent itself into a dizzying, terrible spin. Nova could hear the sailors down below, terrified and confused, but she couldn't make out if what she was picking up were actual voices or just their frantic thoughts.

And if she were honest, she was just as terrified as they were.

The ship smacked down onto the stone floor, sliding while sending debris and splinters in all directions under it came to rest in the centre. Nova waited a second to stand, gazing up at the dramatic interior of the temple.

Sunlight poured in from numerous, narrow windows, illuminating the platform they had crashed on. Eight rectangular pillars supported the high ceilings, and four massive cobra statues surrounded them, clear crystal balls held in their jaws.

Adnan had appeared above deck, blood pouring from his nose as he approached the duo. Others began to emerge; they had never been in the temple before. They gazed around in wonder as they enjoyed the slight reprieve.

"It should activate," Adnan stated before either of them could ask. "On its own, I mean."

There was a roar from outside, everyone looked towards the sunbathed entrance.

"Right," Nova slung her rifle. "You sure there's not a trick to this?"

"No, there shouldn't..." He trailed off, watching as the light from outside began to flicker out. "Ka save us, how many are there?"

Nova didn't want to answer that question.

"Adnan," Tyrael spoke, garnering people's attention. "Are you positive there isn't some sort of spell or ritual that activates this temple?"

Adnan wasn't sure to be honest, none of the elders had even mentioned such a thing. The temple should've just teleported them upwards. If it wasn't doing that now, then it was quite possible when they crashed, they broke something. He didn't want to believe that, everyone would die here if it were true.

There was a sharp pop and then a thump. Everyone looked over to see a dead monster in the doorway. Nova glanced at them.

"I only have so many bullets, so figure it out, _fast_."

Adnan grimaced, looking back at the statues. Each of them held a sphere, and were coiled around a second, larger portion of possibly the same material. They were wonderfully carved and had there not been a horde of beasts after them, he would've loved to study them. He, Tyrael and a few others hurried off _The_ _Sandray_ , trying to find anything that looked out of place or important.

"Here!" Tyrael shouted, just as Nova fired a few more shots.

It wouldn't be long until the entire swarm was upon them.

The starboard side of the ship had knocked one of the larger crystals when it crashed. While the others stood straight, this one leaned to the left, faintly sparking with some sort of energy. Tyrael had already scaled the snake, using all of his might to try and push the shard back into position. Adnan was next up, setting in beside him to help.

Nova flicked her gaze to her allies for a moment before she gritted her teeth and aimed upwards. The entrance had been damaged from their spectacular entry, and long, deep fissure had emerged in the ancient stone. She steadied herself, taking careful aim before she fired.

An avalanche of rock came crashing down. Plumes of dust rose up and outwards, rushing over the allies as they all turned to see the crash.

Nova hurried into Tyrael's view. "That buys us a minute."

He nodded, refocusing his efforts.

The rubble began to heave, small rocks tumbling down onto the smooth floor. Tyrael didn't bother glancing at it as the mortals did, he could feel the crystal moving.

Something big hit the blockade, larger chunks shifting and moving. Nova could hear the creatures' snarls and screeches from outside.

The crystal heaved, sliding back into its upright position. The temple was immediately filled with a hum of strange magic, throbbing on a frequency just on the edge of physicality. As the group hurried back to the ship, Adnan paused and turned around.

There was a small pedestal on the far wall, guarded by two jackal-headed statues that clung to ancient blades.

"Adnan!" Tyrael called, just as the last of Nova's rock barrier gave away, chunks of stone flying into the chamber. "What are you doing?"

Adnan had never seen creatures so terrifying. The smallest ones moved like lightning, snarling and chirping in a way that didn't seem possible. They were four-legged monstrosities with far too many teeth and razor sharp claws. Their eyes blazed with life, and they were barreling towards the ship.

Tyrael knew what had to be done, and if anything – he would stay behind and do it. "Adnan, I will-" The angel went to move but watched as their companion raised his hand and then ran for the ancient console.

Other nightmares had begun to slither their way inside, creatures not unlike the cobras that silently watched the ship. They stood taller than Tyrael himself, with great armoured crests rising from their vicious heads, and strong arms that ended in sickles. They spotted Adnan before the little ones, snarling and hissing before they shot projectiles from their heavy shoulders.

Nova opened fired, downing two of the ranged monsters before she saw the encroaching zerglings. The ghost frantically looked at her ally. "Tyrael!"

Tyrael had to make a choice, he looked back at Adnan, who had now drawn the attention of one of the smaller, faster creatures.

 _'What will your precious justice cost you, Tyrael?'_ Diablo's words hung heavy in the angel's mind.

"Tyrael!" Nova shouted, raising her rifle a barrier. A zergling had reached her, bounding easily up onto _The_ _Sandray_ , it snapped at her – teeth clamping down on the ghost's rifle. It was trying to tear the weapon from her grasp.

Then it was flailing, as Tyrael picked it up high over his head and threw it into three others that were closing in. He brandished El'druin and put himself between Nova and the close-ranged monsters.

Every zergling that dared to get close was cut in two, their feeble armour amounting to nothing against the holy blade.

Adnan slammed his open palm down on the glowing glyph. It turned a vivid blue before it vanished, all the energy in the room suddenly shooting into the four orbs in the cobras' jaws. The temple quaked as the snakes' eyes lit with azure flames, lightning sparking from the shards.

Adnan pivoted, sprinting as fast as he could back to _The_ _Sandray_. It looked like the ship had been caught by whirlpool, with an energy that moved and swirled like water dancing around it. Droplets began to shoot up towards the ceiling, disappearing before they ever touched the rock.

They had done it.

They were going to make it.

The first sensation Adnan had, was agony. Like someone had stabbed a thousand daggers into his thigh. Then he felt as if he had been bulldozed by a warhorse, knocked to the cold floor and distantly aware that something had just torn a chunk out of his leg. He looked up, eyes widening with absolute horror as a zergling swallowed the hunk of flesh it had taken, pieces of it still clinging to its bloodied teeth.

It chittered, it was the strangest sound Adnan had ever heard.

He looked towards the ship, eyes just making out Tyrael as the angel rushed to try and save him.

But then he, Nova and the craft were gone. The magic of the temple vanished and Adnan was left with dozens of these horrors.

Alone.

* * *

 _Contains minor edits._


End file.
